County Sets New Rules For Requesting Legislative Appropriations

Mountain Mail reports

Socorro County is making a new effort to streamline the county’s project-planning process for the future. It is the goal of the administration to ensure all constituent needs are heard while efficiently managing resources and preparing stronger grant applications, according to a press release from Socorro County Manager Delilah Walsh.
The Socorro County Board of County Commissioners took the first step toward that effort by passing a resolution regarding the county’s role as a fiscal agent for public projects.
The resolution states that Socorro County shall only act as a fiscal agent for legislative appropriations to organizations when that organization has received prior approval from the county to request a legislative appropriation.
That resolution encourages members of the public to approach the commission prior to lobbying for state and federal project funds. By ensuring all groups are working from the same plan, the county can combine efforts to be more organized and more effective, the press release stated.
With the resolution in place, Socorro County is now requesting input from the public and all local organizations regarding public projects.
Those projects will be prioritized and placed on the county’s Infrastructure Capital Improvement plan, or ICIP. The plan is the county’s roadmap for future capital outlay and will allow the administration to better prepare for grant opportunities.
The county commission would like to know which public projects are most important to community members.
People or organizations with a project that should be considered should obtain a request form from the county manager’s office. Public projects can range from road improvements to equipment purchases to new buildings and everything in between. The requests will then be distributed to the commission and heard during the board’s Sept. 8 regular meeting.
For questions or more information, call Walsh at 835-0589 or e-mail dwalsh@co.socorro.nm.us.

County Sets New Rules For Requesting Legislative Appropriations

Fire Spreads Through Sevilleta

Firefighting crews battling a 1,800-acre wildfire in the sprawling Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday had hopes of containing the blaze by late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, Aug. 6.
The fire was caused by lightning strikes and quickly spread to 400 acres, fueled by brisk winds and dry gramma grass.
According to the Socorro County Fire Marshal’s office, the fire started about 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5.
“Apparently, there were five separate lightning strikes that merged into one large fire,” said Jerry Wheeler of the fire marshal’s office. “The separate fires made it a challenge at first.”
Battling the fire were crews from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state Forestry and the Veguita Fire Department
“We were called for assistance for water support at about 5:15 p.m.,” Wheeler said. “We began coordinating with Chris Wilcox, the incident commander, and by 6:45 p.m., all the agencies were working together on the fire.”
Wheeler said the fire initially started about two miles south mile marker 173 on Highway 60.
“There were seven structures on the north side of the fire that caused some concern, but after some residents called 911, fire crews were successful in keeping the fire off private land,” he said. “The only losses so far are several ecological research sites.”
The refuge is host to the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research Program, conducted by the University of New Mexico’s Department of Biology. The program conducts a variety of research that examines long-term changes in ecosystem attributes.
As of press time Wednesday, the fire was about 75 percent contained and had not spread beyond the refuge boundaries, although flare-ups on the eastern edge kept firefighters busy through the afternoon and evening.With temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, dust devils made fighting the fire more difficult.
“They were creating fire whirls within the burn area,” Wheeler said.
It was estimated that the total burn area may be as high as 2,000 acres before it is completely contained, Wheeler said, “but with the temperatures and the wind, it would hard to estimate reasonably.”
The blaze has been named the Black Butte Fire.

Photo caption: Firefighters work to contain the Black Butte Fire at Sevilleta on Wednesday. Photo courtesy Jerry Wheeler/Socorro County Fire Marshal's office

Fire Spreads Through Sevilleta

City Considers Allowing Cage Fights At Finley

By John Larson

SOCORRO – It’s formally known as mixed martial arts, but is commonly referred to as cage fighting, a full-contact combat sport that includes a wide array of fighting methods.
Is a city-owned facility, specifically Finley Gym, a proper venue to hold such an event? That’s the question the Socorro City Council discussed at Monday night’s meeting.
Five years after city-owned Clarke Field was denied as a venue for a mixed martial arts event, the council is revisiting its position.
In 2004, the council voted not to allow promoter Jim Burleson’s King of the Cage event the use of Clarke Field. Burleson eventually got approval from the Socorro County Fair Board to hold his event at the fairgrounds.
Local MMA trainer Bill Partridge asked the council for permission to use Finley Gym for an upcoming one-night event.
“We have always had a problem with using city property for martial arts,” Mayor Dr. Ravi Bhasker said. “But the council wants to hear your presentation. What you are planning?”
Partridge told the council he trains local fighters and he wants the community to support their hard work.
“Mixed martial arts has come a long way, and it’s not a blood sport anymore,” Partridge said. “These competitors who are training every day have learned to shake hands with their opponent afterwards and not take the fight out of the venue.”
Bhasker voiced concern over past experiences with cage fighting.
“There have been worries about fighting between rival gangs,” Bhasker said. “Fighting in the street. Fighting in the homes. Fighting in the schools. The rivalry became very aggressive.”
Partridge said he has scheduled the bouts so that all Socorro competitors will be matched against out-of-town fighters.
“Local rivalries are avoided,” he said. “You can’t do anything but shake the other guy’s hand if you lose.”
Partridge said the sport has become more accepted by the public, and is looked upon as in the category of boxing or wrestling.
“This is something the children will get involved in, and they will get involved,” he said. “This event will show them how it’s supposed to be competed.”
He said MMA fights have normally been held at the National Guard Armory.
“We prefer Finley Gym because at the armory, everybody is standing, and it’s not a comfortable event to go to,” Partridge said. “We want to have it a little more spaced out for the audience. The cage size is bigger – 18 feet – so we need a little bigger area.”
He said he would meet all requirements for safety and liability.
“Security will be present there at the venue. Anything that is needed, we would provide,” Partridge said. “We will have insurance for the crowd and combative insurance for the competitors. There will have an EMT and a ringside physician. Whatever requirements to get a license will be met on our end.”
He also said competitors are required to sign an agreement that they won’t get involved in trouble or in fights outside the gym.
“We have a chance to clean up the reputation of mixed martial arts here in Socorro,” Partridge said. “I am looking at Sept. 19 for putting on the show.”
Councilor Ernest Pargas commended Partridge on his efforts but voiced concern over any extra activities “that cause a lot of problems.”
Councilor Michael Olguin Jr. said mixed martial arts has gained some respectability recently.
“It is a growing sport,” Olguin said. “It is a professional sport, and the way things are going this is what Socorro is trying to attract. I think it will benefit the city in the long run.”
Councilor Gordy Hicks said he has attended MMA bouts but has “trouble with going toward what we’ve been trying to stay away from.”
Councilor Donald Monette said he was hesitant to have the city get involved.
“I feel like we’re going backward. In the past we’ve always been afraid of it,” Monette said. “We’ll have to get into the security issue, the rent issue. I don’t know if this is the direction we’re heading. Once the convention center is built, it would be a different issue.”
The council voted 7-1 to turn the matter over to the administration to look into feasibility and legalities. Monette cast the dissenting vote.

City Considers Allowing Cage Fights At Finley

Socorro Graduation Rate Way Above The State Average

By Mike Sievers

Socorro High School’s graduation rate for the 2007-08 school year was about 20 percent higher than the state average, according to the Public Education Department’s School Accountability Report released Friday.
Socorro Consolidated Schools Superintendent Cheryl Wilson said the report measures a “four-year cohort,” meaning it records the number of students who make it through from their freshman year to graduation. She said it doesn’t count students who go on to obtain a General Educational Development, or GED, degree, or “lost students,” whose transfers were not recorded.
“The good news is we’re doing significantly better than the state average,” Wilson said. “The bad news is one in four of our students aren’t graduating on time.”
There was no change in status for any of the schools in the Socorro school district, as four out of seven did not progress to this year’s target level of efficiency in math and reading, as measured by standardized tests. The Annual Yearly Progress report is part of the accountability report.
Socorro High School, Sarracino Middle School, Zimmerly Elementary School and Midway Elementary School failed to progress to this year’s target level of efficiency in math and reading, according to the report.
Cottonwood Valley Charter School, Parkview Elementary and San Antonio School met AYP for the second straight year. The AYP reporting is required by the No Child Left Behind Act enacted in 2001. Under the act, 100 percent of students are supposed to be proficient based on the test standards by 2014.
Socorro High was given an R-2 “restructuring” designation, while Zimmerly and Sarracino were given R-1 “restructuring” designations. CVCS, Midway, Parkview and San Antonio were designated as “progressing.”
Wilson said there are many examples of improvement, and the AYP scores don’t present any jaw-dropping news. Other tests predict the outcome of the AYP tests, which are taken in the spring.
At Socorro High, 32.2 percent of the students were proficient in math, with that number dropping to 23.4 percent among Hispanic students, who represent about 64 percent of the student body. Among economically disadvantaged students (about half the student body), just 14.6 percent were proficient in math according to the tests.
In reading, 36.4 percent were proficient, with that number dropping to 27.3 percent among Hispanic students and 23.6 percent among economically disadvantaged students.
The numbers were lower at Sarracino, where 17 percent of students tested proficient in math and 35.3 were proficient in reading. The drop in those numbers when it came to Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students was similar to that at Socorro High.
Wilson said those numbers represent an “achievement gap” that the district aims to close. She said at the third-grade level, there is no achievement gap in the district, and Hispanic students have tested better than other students at that level. Fourth grade is where the gap begins, she said.
“We’re doing a pretty darn good job of getting them started,” Wilson said.
She said special subject coaches working the classrooms will help to close that gap.
Magdalena
Magdalena High did not make its AYP goal, but is still designated as “progressing.” In math, 23.5 percent overall were proficient, while 25 percent of Hispanic and 16.7 percent of American Indian students were proficient. In reading, 29.4 percent overall were proficient, while 41.7 percent of Hispanic and 16.7 percent of American Indian students were proficient. The graduation rate was 70.8 percent.
Magdalena Middle School got an “R-1 restructuring” designation, with 16.3 percent of students proficient in math and 40.2 percent proficient in reading.
Magdalena Elementary again received an “R-2 restructuring” designation, with 40.2 percent of all students proficient in math and 43.7 percent proficient in reading.
Alamo
The Alamo School, for the second straight year, did not have its report available at the New Mexico Public Education Department’s Web site.
Reserve
Reserve High School again met its AYP goals and received a “progressing” designation, with 33.3 percent of all students proficient in math and 56.7 percent in reading. Reserve’s elementary school also met AYP and is “progressing,” with 35.5 percent proficient in math and 67.7 percent proficient in reading. Reserve High’s graduation rate was 73.2 percent.
Quemado
Quemado High School also met AYP for the second year and is “progressing,” with 35.5 percent proficient in math and 45.2 proficient in reading. The same goes for Quemado Elementary, with 40 percent proficient in math and 53.3 percent proficient in reading. The same also goes for Datil Elementary, where 30.8 percent were proficient in math and 38.5 percent were proficient in reading. Quemado High’s graduation rate was 99 percent.

Socorro Graduation Rate Way Above The State Average

Tierra De Segunda Store Is Back

By John Larson

SOCORRO – Tierra de Segunda Thrift Store reopened in its new location with a party Tuesday. With about 20 customers waiting for the doors to open at noon, Mayor Dr. Ravi Bhasker cut the ribbon and applauded the volunteers for their perseverance in finding the new home.
“We’re so happy the store has been able to remain open and continue this great service for the community,” Bhasker said. “We’ve always supported their efforts and did what we could to help. This is vital for a good part of the community.”
After the ribbon cutting, customers were treated to punch, fruit and snacks.
The thrift store has been in continual operation serving families, students and those in need since 1980, and up until last month it was located on Fisher Street.
Its new address is 913 N. California St., in the Smith’s shopping center behind Denny’s.
Susan Miller said it took 20 volunteers to move the clothes,
household items and fixtures to the new site last Saturday morning.
“We are grateful to the city for listening to our concerns and helping us find this wonderful new site,” she said. “And thanks to the community for supporting our efforts.”
Mike Fazzone, Ramon Romero and Jonathan Gallegos were the “demolition crew,” said Miller. “They helped renovate the interior of the store. We also want to thank Mike and Mona Boggs of Austin, Texas, for giving us a reasonable rental rate.”
Besides serving the public through the thrift store three days a week, the volunteer organization is an active supporter of the Good Samaritan Center-Socorro nursing home on Highway 60.
“We started out originally to help the elderly, to make donations for Good Sam’s seniors,” Lola McWhorter told the Mountain Mail in a recent interview. “Wanda Ramzel, one of the founders, helped open the store the same year Good Sam’s opened, almost 30 years ago.”
Founders of the organizations included Ramzel, Francis Senn, Florence Kottlowski and Evelyn Fite.
In addition to regular contributions to Good Sam’s, the store also donates money to support the Socorro County Senior Citizen Center, Socorro Village, Vista Montano, Meals On Wheels, C.P.A., La Vida Fields and the Disabled American Veterans.
Tierra de Segunda Thrift Store is open three days a week, noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Photo caption: Tierra de Segunda Thrift Store re-opened at 913 N. California Tuesday. Mayor Dr. Ravi Bhasker was given the honor of cutting the ribbon at the dedication. Pictured (from left): Nancy Malone, Renee Lange-Romero, Lola McWhorter, Bhasker, Betty Easley, Evelyn Fite, Susan Miller and Mary Soto. Photo by John Larson/Mountain Mail

Tierra De Segunda Store Is Back

Catron Sheriff’s Deputies Compete In Battle Of The Badges

By Richard Torres
Catron County Sheriff’s deputies Ian Fletcher and Ray Goetz recently participated in the Battle of the Badges, a fundraiser in Rio Rancho, July 26.
The event was a full-contact arena football game, a “grudge match between cops and firefighters.”
“I played most of the game as a lineman,” Fletcher said.
Goetz played nose guard. A crowd of more than 1,400 cheered on the teams in the indoor arena located at the Santa Ana Star Center.
“It was a very physical game,” Fletcher said. “This was my first time playing in such an environment. A special moment in the game came when Joe Harris Jr. entered the game. His father was slain in the line of duty, and he took his place on the team. I had a lot of fun, a few sore muscles, and I would do it again.”

Photo caption: Catron County Sheriff’s deputy Ian Fletcher (72) stands in the huddle of policemen/ football players during the Battle of the Badges, a fundraiser game between police and firefighters at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. Courtesy photo

Catron Sheriff’s Deputies Compete In Battle Of The Badges

Skate-A-Rama Saturday

Sue Meza (left), owner of the Sonic Drive-In in Socorro, and Suzanne Barteau, assistant director of the Socorro County Chamber of Commerce, decorate skate-shaped posters for Sonic’s Skate-A-Rama that will take place starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at Sedillo Park. There will be a free picnic at 5 p.m. for all participants. All proceeds will benefit Toys from Cops to Tots. The event is limited to 100 skaters. Those younger than 18 need to have a parent or guardian sign a consent form, available at Sonic. Consent forms can be submitted during registration at the event. For more information, call Sue Meza at 835-2413. Photo by Mike Sievers/Mountain Mail

Skate-A-Rama Saturday

Quemado Man Arrested By Alaskan Officials

By John Larson

A Quemado man is in danger of losing his New Mexico outfitter permit after he pled guilty to several misdemeanor violations with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Jimmy Todd Hackney, 39, of Quemado, pleaded guilty Wednes-day, July 29, to 15 misdemeanor counts of guiding without proper supervision, making a false statement on hunting license applications and hunting brown bear without a guide.
According to an article that appeared in the Anchorage Daily News, Hackney took two non-resident moose hunters on a guided tour last fall, though no registered guide was supervising. Hackney also claimed to be an Alaska resident on fish and game license applications in 2006 and 2007.
Hackney was sentenced to pay a total fine of $10,000 and restitution totaling $9,100, prosecutors said.
“The significant fine in this case, as well as the loss of hunting and guiding privileges, should get the attention of anyone who is considering violating Alaska’s big game laws,” Assistant Attorney General Andrew Peterson told the Anchorage Daily News.
A co-defendant in the case, Dennis West, 57, pleaded guilty July 23 to one count of transporting without a license and was sentenced to pay $2,000 in fines.
Hackney also had his big game guiding, hunting and trapping licenses revoked and cannot guide for five years, according to prosecutors.
A co-defendant, 57-year-old Dennis West, pleaded guilty July 23 to one count of transporting without a license and was given a $2,000 fine.
In New Mexico, Hackney has been running an outfitting business called JT International Hunting, based in Quemado.
The New Mexico Game and Fish spokeswoman, Luann Tafoya, said New Mexico has a compact with Alaska concerning outfitters.
“Hackney’s name will be entered into the compact, and his case will be reviewed by Chris Chadwick, the Revocation Manager of Game and Fish,” Tafoya said. “Then his license could be revoked here in New Mexico.”

Quemado Man Arrested By Alaskan Officials

Engagement Announcement

David and Celina Baca of Socorro announced the engagement and upcoming wedding of their granddaughter Jessica Baca to Keith Huffer.
The wedding is planned for Aug. 22, 2009, in Littleton, Colo, where the couple currently resides. Mother of the bride-to-be is Melissa Collins of El Paso.

Engagement Announcement

Organizers: Triathlon Was Most Successful Yet

By Polo C’ de Baca
For the Mountain Mail

SOCORRO – Participants, organizers and volunteers touted this year’s 14th Annual Chile Harvest Triathlon as the most successful race to date. The event took place without a noticeable hitch. Entries from all corners of the state and many from out of state numbered about 373, just short of the limit of 400.
“From complements that we’ve received, I have to say that the event went very well,” co-director Robert Gonzales said. “They (the contestants) really like being here. They say it’s one of the better-run events in the state. We had great support from the sponsors. The city of Socorro was a really big help to us, as were all the volunteers. This event cannot be successful without the volunteers.”
Gonzales also singled out Deborah Dean of the Socorro Heritage and Visitors Center as being very helpful in the organization of the race.
“Without her, the mayor and the city’s support, this event wouldn’t be as successful as it has been,” Gonzales said.
The run part of the course was changed to include a leg along a ditch bank so runners could run in the dirt. Gonzales said he and other officials received 100 percent favorable feedback about the dirt part of the run.
Blind 14-year-old Leticia Martinez of Las Cruces was the only physically challenged entry. She got through the race with the help of Mike Montoya and finished 75th in a field of 152 women. Her time was 1:27:58.6. Montoya has won the triathlon multiple times, the last time being in 2006. He did not compete this year.
“Mike is my older brother,” Steven Montoya said, “Mike is a special education teacher with the Las Cruces Public Schools. He does a lot of work with physically challenged and mentally challenged students. It doesn’t surprise me that he did that.”
Mike Montoya races for the Socorro Riders and Striders.
The Mountain Mail had erroneously reported there would be no youth race this year – the article should have stated there would be no separate youth race. In the past, the 18-and-under category raced a shorter course, but this year they competed on the same course, going the same distances as those in every other category.
Overall winners
Paul Ward of Silver City won the men’s division with a winning time of 56:03.
In the women’s division, Kristen Moriarity of Rio Rancho finished first with a time of 1:04:42. Terry Moore, a Socorro native now teaching in Las Cruces, finished second with a time of 1:06:10.
Females, ages 1 to 14
Abigail Napier of Albuq-uerque finished first with a time of 1:42:23.6.
Julie Aster of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:52:33.8.
Males, ages 15 to 17
Peter Song of Los Alamos finished first with a time of 1:07:16.6.
Damian Lopez-Plancarte of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:14:16.9.
Females, ages 15 to 17
Jennell Higgs of Socorro finished first with a time of 1:22:19.9.
Michelle Mora of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:55:39.6.
Males, ages 18 to 19
Rance Irvin of Hobbs finished first with a time of 59:58.0.
Kenneth Malone of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:18:57.2.
Females, ages 18 to 19
Alyssa Higgs of Socorro finished first with a time of 1:11:55.6.
Ellen Aster of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:18:13.6.
Males, ages 25 to 29
Justin Bronder of Albuquerque finished first with a time of 1:04:59.7.
Adam Deller of Socorro finished second with a time of 1:06:33.5.
Males, ages 30 to 34
Steven Montoya of Socorro finished first with a time of 1:01:36.9.
Females, ages 35 to 39
Kori Mannon of Elephant Butte finished first with a time of 1:14:26.2.
Liz Clabaugh of Socorro finished third with a time of 1:20:41.4.
Females, ages 60 to 64
Lynette Napier of Socorro finished first with a time of 1:44:48.7.

For complete results of the race, log on to socorro.com/ssr/chile.

Photo caption: Alisa Lauer of Santa Fe turns the corner onto El Camino Real during the last leg of the Chile Harvest Triathlon on Saturday morning. Photo by Mike Sievers

Organizers: Triathlon Was Most Successful Yet

Coaches From The U.K. Spend Time Coaching Socorro Players

By Polo C’ de Baca
For the Mountain Mail

SOCORRO – Last week, 57 soccer hopefuls from the Socorro area had the unique opportunity to attend a camp sponsored by American Youth Soccer Organization and be coached by members of AYSO International from Scotland and England. The camp also was sponsored by Mayor Dr. Ravi Bhasker and the city of Socorro.
The international group of coaches, mostly British, are involved with 600,000 kids from all over the United States.
David White of Glasgow, Scotland, was one of three coaches working with Socorro boys and girls in groups that spanned the ages of 4 to 16. White said the coaches with whom he works had been in the U.S. since the beginning of July and had held summer soccer camps in California, Arizona and Los Alamos.
White said he has been coaching here for seven years and has been all over the U.S. He is now able to visit with friends made on previous trips. He has coached for a total of 20 years.
“Soccer is the biggest participation sport in America amongst children,” White said.
“Although your place (the U.S.) is rather biased toward football, baseball and basketball.
When I was growing up, you’d take your shirts off and they would be the goal posts and the markers, and then all we needed was a ball. We played in the streets.”
The youngest boys and girls that participate in the camps are 4 to 6-year-olds. Their program is called Fun in the Sun. The program for 7 to 10-year-olds is called Thrills and Skills. The oldest group includes ages 11 to 16.
White said he was pleased that the number girls participating in soccer in the United States is about equal to that of the boys.
“In America, girl participation is huge,” White said. “If you get a camp back home, the ratio of boys to girls is more like seven to one. In every camp we’ve held in the U.S., there is almost a 50/50 ratio of boys and girls playing soccer.”
White said the reason girls’ soccer is lagging in Europe is because of male chauvinism.
White said he already carries that message back home with him and brags on the United States. Toby Palm, who was coaching the obviously enthusiastic 4 to 6-year-olds, is from London. The other coach working with the Socorro children was Fritz Patel, from Worchester, England. All three are all members of the UK International Soccer Camp.

Photo caption: Coach Toby Palm of Worchester, England, representing AYSO International from the United Kingdom, poses with his exhilarated “charges” after a Saturday morning workout at Sedillo Park in Socorro on Saturday morning. Photo by Polo C’ de Baca

Coaches From The U.K. Spend Time Coaching Socorro Players

OPINION: Trying To Keep Up With The Obama Blitz

By Rick Coddington
The Right Side

Ever since Obama took power, I have found that I can’t keep up with all the stuff that is happening to us. It seems to me that before any issue can be dealt with, there are two new (and usually worse ones) coming at us.
In the past, I would do the research for a column, sometimes over a couple of weeks and then do the writing. Now, before there is a definitive answer to anything, we face a new crisis that is bigger than the last two or three, none of which has been resolved. It’s a political blitz. I’m sure you are familiar with the blitz in football, where the defense sends multiple linebackers across the line of scrimmage to disrupt the offense.
What you may not know is that the name of the play is taken from Blitzkrieg (“Lightning War” in German). It was their favorite strategy during World War II. The technique consisted of surprise attacks and multiple, rapid advances into enemy territory, along with massive air attacks, which made the enemy feel like they were struck by lightning. The tactic accounted for most of Germany’s great victories in World War II.
That’s what I feel like us lowly taxpayers are going through under Obama’s regime. It’s like this … we get hit with a jillion-dollar bailout. I use the silly word “jillion” because there is no real total available for the cost of this disaster. For sure, the costs are staggering. Have you noticed that as the CEOs loot the bailout, we keep hearing that “next time” the government is not going to allow the CEOs to pay themselves bonuses from our (borrowed) taxpayer dollars, next time?
When I tried to come up with a true-dollar bailout amount instead of a “jillion,” I found that it evidently costs “around” $7.5 trillion. Isn’t it funny that when you put 12 zeros after a number, it always becomes “around” or “about.” Either the number really is beyond comprehension, even for the “experts,” or this has all become way too casual.
To try to put that number in perspective, the bailout will cost more than the Marshall Plan, the Louisiana Purchase, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and all the NASA funding, including the space program, put together. The $7.5 trillion bailout is about twice the cost of World War II, which gave us the blitz thing in the first place.
Speaking of the blitz, lest we have time for our heads to stop reeling from the bailout cost, we were then hit with the “stimulus.” That will cost us another $3.3 trillion over 10 years (Congressional Budget Office Web site). That figure is porked up by the “Making Work Pay Tax Credit,” Head Start, the Earned Income Tax Credit and such. Those things will cost “about” $2.5 trillion plus $744 billion in interest costs.
Remember, all these trillions are borrowed. And even though the stimulus evidently did nothing, we are facing the promise of another! Blitz! In the middle of a blitz, with financial time bombs falling faster than you can follow them, who has time to think about the long-term consequences of all this? Like this one, for instance: Obama’s budget plans will increase the national debt to 80 percent of gross domestic product! What does that mean to you? You will be $17 trillion in debt in 10 years. That exceeds the burden that we faced at the end of WWII, which was the previous record.
Another way to look at it is that Obama will double the already atrocious 40 percent debt-to-GDP ratio that we have come to accept during the blitz. If you happen to be an economist, you know the debt-to-GDP ratio is the prime indicator of economic health, or in this case, economic suicide. By the way, these figures come from analysis of the Congressional Budget Office data, not some crackpot.
The effect on you will be that interest rates will go through the roof, further crippling business and private borrowers alike. It will kill productivity and any chance of economic growth. As the interest for all this eats up the rest of the budget, you will see higher taxes and fewer workers to pay them. That means Social Security cuts as well as Medicare, which is already on the chopping block courtesy of “health care reform.”
If you think I’m imagining all this, we already have a pronouncement by the Federal Reserve of these consequences. If you missed it, you shouldn’t blame yourself; during a blitz like this, it is only natural to miss “little things” like the Fed announcement projecting unemployment over 10 percent in the coming months, and even worse, no net new jobs over the next five years.
These things add up to the kind of news that should be causing headlines everywhere screaming for a reckoning. I’m sure if any other president were in power during such an economic crisis, there would be an outcry for his removal. These days, not only is there not even a whimper of protest, the blitz has us blinded. After all, we are facing health care reform also. A “reform” that will turn out, in my opinion, to be another gift for the CEOs. The only difference is that in this case, the beneficiaries will be health care execs instead of financial execs.
That at is the best-case scenario, since it will just cost us money. The worst-case scenario is that the government will take charge of health-care rationing under the guise of “cutting costs” and take it upon themselves to decide who lives and who dies.

Rick Coddington is a third-generation native New Mexican. He attended UNM and studied political science. He has lived in Socorro since 1974. His opinions do not necessarily represent the Mountain Mail.

OPINION: Trying To Keep Up With The Obama Blitz

OPINION: Idaho Reunion Stirs Connections To Family And Place

By Dave Wheelock
The Pencil Warrior

“Wow.” This became the most overused, yet never obsolete, word in Joanne’s and my lexicon during a recent visit to northern Idaho. The feelings evoked in us by the diverse faces of nature in that majestic neck of the woods kept us in a nearly constant state of awe for a week. Added to the joy of rediscovering once-familiar places, the warm touch of seldom-seen family and the remaining flavors of a lifestyle fast disappearing produced a palpable sense of belonging in the heart of a wandering urban nomad.
The prime motivator for our 2,600-mile road trip, the first reunion of my Finnish-American mother Esther Irene Hussa’s side of the family in two generations, promised a poignant and unforgettable journey. Neither my sister, brother nor I have yet visited the original homeland of the Hussa family, but Cousin Jari and wife Helena, traveling all the way from the Scandinavian motherland, provided constant human context for this gathering of family members, now scattered from throughout the Northwest to Tennessee to New Mexico.
We Wheelock kids have long referred to ourselves as “Finndians.” Our father, Martin Kerwin Wheelock, was an Oneida man whose family for hundreds of generations farmed, hunted, fished and traded amongst the forests and waters of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) in what became, through often dubious means, upstate New York. In attempting to salvage what traces remain of not only that side of our family’s story but also a broader vision of indigenous history from the train wreck that is “American Indian History,” two themes constantly repeat: the overarching importance of family relationships and an undying love for, and attachment to, traditional homelands.
Not so many years before the homesteading Finns of my grandparents’ generation cut and milled the trees to build their farmhouses, saunas and barns on Tamarack Ridge in the bountiful mountains east of Coeur d’Alene, the people called Coeur d’Alenes by the French had been pressured onto a reservation. Despite their initial tolerance of the growing European presence, they came out on the losing end of an imperial process that invariably involved both a severance from beloved lands and the separation of family members. Thus were two sacred connections supplanted with – what?
As everywhere in North America, the European settlers depended for their survival in this potentially hazardous place partly on the advice of the Coeur d’Alenes (whom it should be noted, did not claim intellectual property rights). But some of these newcomers had bigger ideas. Riding the tide of an earlier technology bubble, what refinements of living with nature they could not fathom (or had no interest in), they substituted for with attempted subjugation through mechanical means.
The results are still there, albeit hidden from unwitting visitors by lush, dense forests and impossibly clear waters. Lake Coeur d’Alene, for decades the recipient of wastes discharged into her main tributary miles upstream in the Kellogg mining district, became the Environmental Protection Agency’s single largest Superfund site. Belied by her crystal-clear waters, tons of toxic heavy metals line the bottom of the vast lake, with no realistic solution for removal – ever. An early yet vivid memory from my family’s periodic visits from afar is of the Coeur d’Alene River, running through the valley in bright shades of color I had never seen in nature.
Today, the northern forests appear pristine to the untrained eye. Wherever logging and mining interests have backed off, nature has shown her impressive capacity to heal herself, and plant and animal life once again thrives in the woods. The waters of the Coeur d’Alene River have regained much of their famed clarity, and native cutthroat trout have cautiously returned to historic haunts in the mysterious depths of turquoise pools. Local kids jump off bridges into the river’s cooling embrace on hot summer days, just as my grandmother and her cousins surely did between chores long ago.
The presence of the Hussa family on Tamarack Ridge has dwindled through mortality and the relocation of subsequent generations related to the nation’s conversion to industrial-scale agriculture. We Wheelocks were hosted in the tiny nearby mountain community of Kingston by the in-laws of our cousin Carol. The Gerards, semi-retired from nursing and education, are living bridges to the rural Idaho lifestyle I remember as a kid. Carol and Grayson don’t have milk cows, chickens or acres of potatoes. They don’t have a television in the living room, nor do they surf the Internet. But they do know where the huckleberries grow, how to dress an elk and how to create their own art and music. Their warmth and generosity speak eloquently of an earlier time, when family and neighbors – much as the original residents – depended on one another’s goodwill for subsistence and a high quality of life.
The difficult and ongoing project of restoring the valley to some measure of its former bounty has required conscious determination from residents of the area that the despoliation of their (new) homelands is no longer acceptable. Perhaps the (that is “we”) Europeans are learning.

Dave Wheelock, a university rugby coach and sports administrator, holds a history degree from the University of New Mexico. Contact him at davewheelock@yahoo.com. Mr. Wheelock’s views do not necessarily reflect those of the Mountain Mail.

OPINION: Idaho Reunion Stirs Connections To Family And Place

OPINION: Common Thread: Adverbs, Libraries & Fireman’s Balls

By Don Wiltshire

While walking on our village streets, I usually keep my attention on the ground immediately in front of me. This will normally keep me from stumbling over rocks, tree branches, cast-off car parts or “road apples.” Occasionally, there will be special treats in store: coins, rusty nails, twisty Art Nouveau bits of wire, interesting rocks and who-knows-what-all. I’m a packrat at heart with no self-control.
Last week I was rewarded with an early crushed specimen of a political flier for the 2010 New Mexico Governor’s race. The candidate, sporting an enigmatic Mona Lisa smile, invited us to “Think Different” (sic). “Sic” is a Latin term meaning “thus, thus written” and is usually reserved for use by our illustrious (sic) editor when he wants to point out a mistake but just doesn’t feel like correcting it. Even the grammar checker in my word-processing program let this one slip by. Am I one of the few left who religiously slap the “-ly” on the end of adverbs? Apparently so. Thank you, Miss Steel, for making me diagram all of those sentences in the eighth grade and making it fun. A quick survey of the CNN Talking Heads confirmed that adding the “-ly” is entirely optional now-a-days.
The English language is, after all, a “living language,” evolving with consensus, usage and convenience. So be it. Could this be more “funner” or what? And what could be the most “funnest” thing to do on a muggy afternoon? Stop by the Magdalena Public Library and pick up a book by your favorite author. Very quickly, the library will expand into the soon-to-be-vacated village offices. There will be more room to browse through their collections of books, movies, books on tape and music, more room to have workshops, chat with friends or use public computers.
For those who are willing and able to help, there is a sign-up sheet for cleaning, painting, moving of shelves and books at the check-out desk in the library. There also is a part-time paid position open for a library assistant. The applicant must be a low-income senior.
This is, after all, your library, sponsored by the village of Magdalena and the New Mexico Library Association. Like most rural services, it relies heavily on the volunteer efforts of our community members.
Strangely, those of us who live in the village have come to thoughtlessly rely on the services provided by the village: water, sewage treatment, police protection, road maintenance, local court services and our wonderful library. Other vital services are “fudged” with the help of our volunteer organizations: fire fighting, emergency medical assistance, village clean up and social services. Isn’t it time to start including some of these services under the protective umbrella of the village? Or are we too afraid of tax and rate increases? Maybe that’s just too darn of a socialist idea!
There are two vitally important volunteer organizations that I must recognize now: our local volunteer firefighters and our EMS volunteers. Who-are-you-gonna-call when that brush fire gets out of control? Who-are-you-gonna-call when you’re choking on that chicken bone? Why, on our unpaid, strictly volunteer but nonetheless professional Magdalena Firefig-hters and Emergency Medical Service personnel.
This Saturday, Aug. 8, will mark the inaugural Magdalena Fireman’s Ball, which organizers plan to make an annual event. It will be held in the WPA Theater on Main Street from 7 to 11 p.m. It’s billed as a typically laid-back Magdalena event: dress up if you like or not, dance if you like or just hang out and chat. Enjoy the music of the Tori Murillo Band. Chips, dips and soda will be provided. There is no cover charge, but contributions will be accepted. Hopefully, they will raise a few dollars for much-needed equipment. The best part will be putting familiar, real faces on those volunteers. Find out just who it is that you’re calling and how you might help out.
Finally, a slightly off-color joke from my brother back in Cleveland, a retired police officer:
Why do policemen traditionally have bigger balls than fire-fighters?
Because they sell more tickets.

Don Wiltshire lives in Magdalena and shares this column with his wife, Margaret. Do you have comments? Problems? Solutions? Upcoming events? Adverbially correct “-ly” stickers? Contact him at mtn_don@yahoo.com. Mr. Wiltshire’s opinions do not necessarily represent the Mountain Mail.

OPINION: Common Thread: Adverbs, Libraries & Fireman’s Balls

OPINION: Letters to the Editor Aug. 6

Co-op Meeting Was Falsley Adjourned

To the Editor:

During the 2009 Socorro Electric Cooperative annual members meeting, a ruling by the co-op’s two attorneys effectively blocked the members’ right to hear reports, vote on resolutions and act on other business that would have come before the meeting. The two attorneys, Joanna Aguilar and Paul Kennedy, who were engaged to represent the best interests of the cooperative and its members, ruled that the “meeting failed to have a quorum.” In my opinion, supported by provisions of New Mexico’s Rural Electric Cooperative Act and SEC’s Bylaws, they made a bad and costly call.
Each year, the board spends between $20,000 and $30,000 to put on the members meeting. For the past five years, the members were told the meetings must be adjourned for lack of a quorum, which means no business can be conducted. No resolutions by members can be introduced. No alterations or amendments to the bylaws can be proposed. No financial statements analyzed and no member’s questions considered.
Door prizes can be distributed by trustees playing the role of Santa, giving some of what belongs to all of us to a few of us. Each trustee takes turns trying to curry favor with prize winners, as if he was being generous with his own money. The trustees’ generosity is far greater when self dealing. Before each annual meeting, trustees treat themselves and their guests to a cocktails-included steak dinner at one of Socorro’s fine restaurants. The tab to the co-op is usually between $1,800 and $2,500.
They celebrate in advance, the likely chance that by applying a false quorum standard, the members will be left out of the annual meeting. For the previous five years, it has worked for them.
You may want to get out your copy of SEC’s bylaws now (or go to www.socorroelectriccoop.org to download a copy). Everyone who buys electric power from SEC should be interested in checking out the charge I just made. Especially if you are a judge, lawyer, a mayor or other elected official in the five-county service area, who has a responsibility to protect the public interest, or if you are the financial officer of an institution, business, school, etc., that uses a lot of electricity. Each consumer has a stake in knowing that the co-op operates ethically and efficiently to keep power cost down. You will want to know the truth about why there has been no annual members meeting since 2004.
Here is the evidence: Article III of the bylaws, Meetings of the Members, Section 6, quorum at all meetings, states: “3 percent of the total number of members registered shall constitute a quorum. If less than a quorum is registered at any meeting, a majority of those registered may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. The minutes of each meeting shall contain a list of the members registered. These provisions shall apply equally to district meetings as well as general meetings of the members.”
From the unapproved minutes of the annual meeting April 25, 2009, reviewed by Joanna Aguilar, attorney, before being released to me are these selected items:
• Member registration was held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• President Paul Bustamante closed member registration.
• President Bustamante announced that 291 members were required for a quorum and that 336 members registered for the meeting.
Note: 3 percent of 336 equals 10.08, so Bylaw Article III, Section 6 above places the quorum at the minimum of 10 members present and voting. When Harold Baca falsely announced the lack of a quorum, the minutes state that “244 members were counted as present.” That number is 24 times greater than the 10 members needed. (Where does it say that 3 percent of the total cooperative is necessary to have a quorum?) If 291 members were necessary to have a quorum, the number of members registered would have been the product of 291 divided by 0.03, which equals 9,700, which is about the total co-op membership. So what does state law allow?
Chapter 62, Article 15 NMSA 1978, called the “Rural Electric Cooperative Act,” is the primary state law that recognizes and enables electric cooperatives in New Mexico. Under that law, authority for the adoption of bylaws is established by the following: “The original bylaws of a cooperative shall be adopted by its board of trustees. Thereafter, bylaws shall be adopted, amended or repealed by the majority of the members present at any regular meeting or special meeting for that purpose, a quorum being present. The bylaws shall set forth the rights and duties of members and trustees and may contain other provisions for the regulation and management of the affairs of the cooperative not inconsistent with this act or with its articles of incorporation.”
SEC’s bylaws are consistent with that law because they grant exclusive power over adoption, amendment or repeal of bylaws to members. In addition, the law requires a majority of members present at any regular or special meeting to make such alterations, adoption, amendment or repeal when a quorum exists. According to the bylaws, a quorum was in place throughout the April 25 annual meeting. The two attorneys, with Mr. Bustamante and Mr. Baca agreed to represent to the members present, a mistaken or deliberately false interpretation of the bylaws. Consistent with the theory of deliberate falsification is the fact that the chairman of the meeting, Bustamante, would not recognize “point of order” calls from the floor but did recognize a motion to adjourn, as if it was part of a plan to scuttle the meeting, which it did. What will the law permit regarding quorums at members meetings?
Consulting New Mexico’s “Rural Electric Cooperative Act,” here is what we find:
Ch. 62, Art. 15, defines quorums permitted in bylaws. It states: “5 percent of all members present in person constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of members, unless the bylaws prescribe the presence of a greater or lesser number of members for a quorum. If less than a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of those present in person may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. The failure to hold a meeting of members due to the absence of a quorum shall not affect the validity of any business conducted by the board of trustees.”
SEC bylaws conform to this law. The difference in words used needs only slight explanation. “Registration,” used in SEC’s bylaws is the process by which the “presence in person” of the members is recorded. The word “registered” as used in the bylaw is the equal to “present in person” as used in the law. “Registered,” when used in the bylaws’ phrase “3 percent of the total number of members registered shall constitute a quorum,” means “3 percent of the total number of members present in person shall constitute a quorum.” Neither the law nor the bylaws refers to a percentage of the total member population of the cooperative in determining quorum. That concept in connection with SEC’s bylaws is the device of those who are opposed to the interest of the cooperative, in pursuit of their own interest.
Sorry, Paul, Harold and attorneys, that is not in SEC’s bylaws, articles of incorporation, state law, federal law or the U.S. Constitution. This fraudulent, nonexistent authority for establishing a fictitious quorum may have been used for several years to prevent member participation and democratic control by members, which federal law requires. It has prevented members from playing any role in controlling or participating in the governance of their cooperative, because they have been denied participation in the business of their co-op.
This is an additional example of the majority of the board’s disobedience of the bylaws, such as Article V, Section 8’s duty to assure equitable representation; Article VIII, section 2’s duty to annually notify members of their capital credits allocations; and the fiduciary duty to provide for adequate, open, fair and equal voting rights in elections, just to mention a few, which confirms their bad faith.
Over the years, SEC’s assets have been wasted on annual meetings that failed to produce quorums. An honest approach to understanding the bylaws and a genuine interest in serving the best interest of the membership would have conserved assets lost to such foolishness. The question is how do we as a co-op recoup those wasted assets? Who is going to reimburse the co-op for the mistakes of the attorneys, trustees, manager and others involved over several years of abuse?
The abrupt adjournment of the annual meeting was improper and denied a vote on the resolutions passed at the District V meeting in October, 2008, to have open meetings, to cut the size of the board from 11 to seven and the number of board meetings from two to one a month. The subject of term limits would also have been raised along with obeying the bylaws’ mandate to equalize voting districts to give each person’s vote equal weight. These are the types of reforms that are working their way through other New Mexico co-ops.
The members of the SEC must bear in mind that they own this co-op and must be ready to act in the best interest of themselves and their neighbors. They must attend meetings, vote for reform candidates in elections and demand ethical behavior, accountability and transparency from the board and co-op management.
Sincerely,

Charlie Wagner
District V Trustee
Magdalena

The Mountain Mail Opinion Page is meant to be a forum for a diverse range of opinions. The Mountain Mail encourages signed letters to the editor or guest columns. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication.
Please limit the length of letters to 500 words. We reserve the right to edit for content, style and grammar. Letters will be printed in a first-come, first-served basis, although e-mail submissions may receive higher priority. The deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday for the following Thursday’s paper.
Readers can send letters to Mailbag, PO Box 1912 Socorro, NM 87801; hand-deliver to the Mountain Mail office in the Adobe Plaza at 413 N. California St.; e-mail to mountainmaileditor@yahoo.com; or fax to (505) 838-3998.

OPINION: Letters to the Editor Aug. 6

Obituary: Mary D. Apachito

Mary D. Apachito
July 5, 1944 – July 26, 2009

Mary Dolores Apachito, 65, passed away Sunday, July 26, 2009, in Albuquerque, N.M. She was born July 5, 1944, in Magdalena, N.M., to Frank and Tila (Gutierrez) Taylor. S
She was preceded in death by her son, James Apachito, and her parents. She is survived by her daughters: Jooba Piasso of Albuquerque; and Nizhoni Apachito of Alamo, N.M.; brother, Frank Taylor of Roswell, N.M.; sister, Ruth Ann Gomez of Magdalena; step-sisters: Rhoda Greenfield and Ione Torres, both of Albuquerque; grandchildren: Cera Apachito, Collin Ration, Mariah Ration, Kaland Ration, Carlos Ration, Rhavyn Ration, Alexander Torres and Nikole Torres.
Funeral Services were Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, at the Alamo Baptist Church in Alamo with Violet Vicente officiating. Burial will be in the UFO Cemetery in Alamo.
Pallbearers are Facio Gomez, Frank Taylor, Pico Taylor, Jordan Piasso, Kirk Piasso, Collin Ration and Dean Apachito. Arrangements by Steadman-Hall Funeral Home, Socorro.

Obituary: Mary D. Apachito

Obituary: Patsy McCargish

Patsy McCargish
Aug. 12, 1944 – July 31, 2009

Funeral services for Patsy Lee McCargish, 64, of Portales, N.M., were at 10 a.m. Friday, July 31, 2009, at Calvary Baptist Church in Portales with Rev. Brad Morgan officiating. A graveside committal service was at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, in the Quemado Cemetery in Quemado, N.M., with Rev. Cory Griffin officiating.
Glyn Griffin, Jimmy Fox, Charles Ray McCargish, Jr., James Christiansen, Walter Parman, Wes Hull and Terrance McCargish will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Ernest Wall, Joe Turner, Albert Curnutt, Bill Fields, Buddy Ward, Charlie Stearns and John Johnston along with her church family and many friends.
Patsy Lee McCargish was born Aug. 12, 1944, in Quemado to Jennie Lee and Julian Culver Clements and died early on the morning of July 29, 2009, in Lubbock, Texas. Mrs. McCargish made her home in Quemado until her marriage to Lloyd McCargish on May 26, 1961 in Socorro, N.M.
For several years, they moved a number of times, following his job. In 1980, the family moved to Logan, where they finished rearing their family. In 1991, she and her husband began driving as a team for Southwest Canners. At various times, it became necessary for her to take a break for one reason or another. During one of those times, she was providing care for her mother until her death in 1992. During her driving career, Mrs. McCargish had driven well over a million miles both accident and violation free.
She and her husband moved to Portales in the mid 1990s. She was a very involved member of the Calvary Baptist Church and was currently serving as the church treasurer. Her life was one of serving and giving. There always seemed to be an extra child in the house or someone that she was providing with special care. When she had personal time, Patsy loved to read.
She is survived by Lloyd McCargish, her husband of more than 48 years of Portales; two daughters, Dinkie (Walter) Parman of Channing, Texas, and Kay (Wes) Hull of Spearman, Texas; a son, Royd (Shannon) McCargish of Albuquerque; and 18 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by both of her parents, three brothers, Mickey, Buzz and Corky Clements and by two sons, Primo and Clifford McCargish.
Arrangements by Wheeler Mortuary, Portales.

Obituary: Patsy McCargish

Area Briefs

Ranger District Sells Fuelwood

The Magdalena Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest is offering a commercial fuelwood sale in Patterson canyon. The sale is located about three miles south of Magdalena.
Trees to be cut are piñon and juniper (cedar), less than 14 inches in diameter. Cutting units vary in size, from 11 to 39 cords. The price is $5 per cord. Access to some of the cutting units could be difficult because of gullies and lack of road access. Permits are being sold at the Magdalena Ranger District office located on 203 First Street.
For more information, visit or contact the Magdalena Ranger District office or call Susan Schuhardt at 575-854-2281 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Golf Scramble To Benefit CASA

Rio Grande Valley CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) will hold its eighth annual golf scramble Saturday, Aug. 29, at the New Mexico Tech Golf Course.
Registration will start at 7 a.m., and the event will begin with a shotgun start at 8:30 p.m. There will be an awards lunch at 12:30 p.m. “A” players will tee off from the blue tees, “B” and “C” players will tee off from the white tees and seniors and ladies will tee off from the gold tees.
Cost is $60 per person or $240 per team and includes practice balls, green fees, gift bags, carts and awards luncheon. Mulligans will go for $20 per team. There will be a casino hole for double or nothing.
To register, call the Tech Golf Course pro shop at 835-5335.

STARS Program Meets Aug. 18

The Healthy Family Initiative’s STARS (Socorro Teens Are Reaching Students) – STAT (Socorro Teens Against Tobacco) after-school program for students in sixth to 12th grades will meet Tuesday, Aug. 18, at First Baptist Church, 203 Spring St.
The meeting will run from 6 to 8 p.m. If interested, call Richard or Laura at 835-8707.

AARP Offers Driver Safety Classes

AARP is offering driver-safety classes in Socorro and Catron counties, and participants will receive a certificate entitling them to an auto insurance discount.
Cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non members, per person, by check or money order made out to AARP, paid at the session.
The class is the nation’s first and largest classroom for motorists age 50 and older that helps them become better and safer drivers, according to a press release from AARP. Older drivers become more aware of changes that occur because of aging (vision, hearing and reaction time) and how to adjust driving accordingly.
One class is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Quemado Senior Center. Contact Diana Simpson at 575-773-4820 for reservations or more information. It is a one-day course.
AARP will offer the class at the Socorro Senior Center from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26. Seating is limited. Call the Socorro Senior Center at 835-2119 or Tom at 835-1369 to reserve a seat.

Fur And Feather Hosts Fundraiser

Fur and Feather Animal Assistance will have two live bands as part of its second annual fundraiser, which will go from about 10 a.m. into the evening of Saturday, Aug. 8, at Jackson Park in Pie Town.
There will be dancing in the park pavilion, as well as food, raffles and a cakewalk. Fur and Feather also will have a few dogs for show.
The organization thanks Pat Henry for her efforts all summer and all who patronized the table she set up at the Datil Flea Market this summer.
The total money raised at the table was $1,017.35.
Coming to the fundraiser? A bag or cans of dogs or cat food would be gratefully accepted.

Catron Dems Meet At 4 p.m. Aug. 8

The Democratic Party of Catron County will have a planning and organizational meeting at 4 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Catron County Courthouse in Reserve.

Mag Fire Dept To Host Fireman’s Ball

The Magdalena Fire Department is hosting its inaugural Fireman’s Ball this Saturday, Aug. 8, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the WPA Theater (the gym building) on Main Street.
Fire Chief Tim O’Neill said the dance is free to the entire community.
“We wanted to do something everybody could enjoy,” O’Neill said. “The Murrillo Brothers will be playing and there will be water, sodas and chips. The idea is to provide an enjoyable atmosphere where the community could get together and have a good time. You don’t have to dance. There will be tables and chairs set up outside where you can hear the music and just visit.”
He said all members of the Fire Department will be recognized.
“We want everybody to be aware of who is taking their time to be a volunteer. This includes all fireman, who are also qualified as EMTs,” O’Neill said.
“We’d like to encourage some of the young people in town to get involved, and this way they can get to know who is doing it,” he said.
Attendance is free for the Fireman’s Ball and no donations will be requested.
“We feel like we want to start putting on events like this every year,” O’Neill said.

Area Briefs

Police Blotter

The following items were taken from reports at the Socorro County Sheriff’s Department. Anything resembling humor or sarcasm was added by the Mountain Mail staff.

June 11
A Veguita woman, who was being cared for by a suspect, reported at 3:45 p.m. that the suspect was given an ATM/debit card to pay medical bills. The caregiver kept the card and made numerous charges to the card, and she also used the woman’s checkbook. When questioned, the suspect admitted to the charge of exploitation. Because of the nature of the charge, the state Attorney General’s office was contacted.
July 5
A woman reported at 5 p.m. that unknown suspects broke into her home in Veguita through a bedroom window. Taken from the residence were two televisions, earrings, a dog, a toaster oven and a pair of sunglasses.
July 6
An officer was dispatched 11:40 p.m. on a report of a man walking up and down Albany Street yelling profanities and threatening to burn down houses. The suspect had returned to his home prior to the officer’s arrival. He was cited into court on a disorderly conduct charge.
July 8
A woman in Escondida reported at 1 p.m. that someone had killed her dog, a silver black German shepherd. She said the dog must have been lured from the yard, as he was a yard dog and never left the property. No suspects at time of report.
July 10
A vehicle pulling a trailer was northbound on Interstate 25 at 11 a.m. when the trailer started swaying, causing the driver to veer off the roadway at mile marker 173. The U-Haul trailer separated and rolled twice, causing heavy damage. No enforcement action was taken.
July 11
A driver reported at 9 a.m. that he was westbound on an unmaintained roadway in San Antonio. He was driving over a hill crest and did not see a washout in the road. The front of the vehicle entered the washout and it overturned onto the driver’s side, causing heavy damage to the left side.
July 12
• A complainant reported at 8:30 a.m. that unknown suspects cut two chains on two separate gates and made entry onto the property on Highway 304 in Veguita. Suspects then drained two diesel tanks of their fuel. Tire tracks and footprints were photographed.
• An officer was dispatched at 8:48 a.m. on a report of an abandoned vehicle in Bernardo. A license check showed that it had been reported stolen in Belen. The vehicle was towed from the area and the victim notified of the recovery.
July 13
A complainant in Veguita reported at 9 p.m. that he witnessed people removing property from a neighbor’s residence. The suspects were contacted and stated they had permission to enter the property as they were house sitting for her. The victim was contacted and stated that she did not want to pursue any charges at that time.
July 15
A woman from Caballo reported at 9 a.m. that she had placed her purse on the roof of her vehicle, and apparently it fell off after she proceeded west on Highway 60. She believes the purse fell off somewhere between the top of Sedillo Hill and the Very Large Array. The purse contained cash, credit cards, IDs and personal items.
July 16
A San Acacia man reported at 6:10 p.m. that unknown suspects entered his yard and took two dogs. The dogs were Labs, one male and one female. He said the female had a scar on her abdomen and was wearing a pink collar. The male had a blue collar.
July 18
• A complainant in Polvadera reported at 9:30 a.m. that someone had broken the right-side door window of a front loader and gained entry. The suspect then broke all the gauges with glass covers, and the switches as well. There were no suspects at the time of report.
• An officer was dispatched at 11 a.m. to a residence in Veguita where a woman said that her son had been battered by three other juveniles. She stated that her son is on medication and did not fight back. She gave the names of the three juveniles but did not know where they lived.
July 19
• A woman in Lemitar reported at 9:30 a.m. that a man had entered her residence through a window. She stated that he has done this in the past and said she feared him, but when asked to leave, he does. The suspect was located and placed under arrest.
• A Veguita man reported that an unknown suspect had entered his vehicle and had taken his checkbook, a returned check from another individual and an envelope with papers. He has contacted his bank and as yet there was no activity on his account.
July 22
A vehicle was pulled over at 7:59 p.m. for speeding on Highway 1 at mile marker 546. The driver was found to be driving on a suspended license and could provide no current registration or proof of insurance. He was cited and his vehicle was towed.
July 23
An officer was assisting Probation and Parole at 6:30 p.m. in attempting to contact a suspect, who had an arrest warrant placed by Probation and Parole. He was located and arrested.
July 25
A vehicle was pulled over at 7:24 p.m. for a traffic violation on Interstate 25 near the Bernardo exit. A license check showed the Albuquerque driver had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was taken to the detention center.
July 26
A driver entered a sobriety checkpoint area at 5:35 p.m. east of San Antonio on Highway 380. It was noticed that the driver exited the vehicle and switched places with the passenger. The driver insisted that she switched places due to fatigue, but a check with the National Crime Information Center showed that she had a suspended license with an arrest clause. She was placed under arrest and was transported to the detention center, without any Chinese fire drills en route.
July 27
• A deputy was given a bench warrant by Probation and Parole at 2 p.m. for the arrest of the suspect who was incarcerated at the detention center. She remained incarcerated.
• The driver of a vehicle was pulled over at 10:45 p.m. at Midway Road and Frontage Road in Lemitar in regard to an incident at a residence in Polvadera. It was learned that the Truth or Consequences man had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. He was placed under arrest and was transported to the Socorro County Detention Center.
July 28
A driver was pulled over at 9:20 p.m. for failing to dim his lights on Chaparral Drive in Socorro. A check showed he had a suspended license. In addition, he was unable to provide current registration or proof of insurance. He was cited and his car was towed.
July 29
A man on Grant Street reported at 3:45 p.m. that someone had damaged his vehicle. The right rear bumper had been dislodged from the upper wheel well. Evidence indicated the bumper had been pried down by an unknown object. The victim gave names of possible suspects.

Information for the following items was provided by the Magdalena Marshal’s office.

July 14
An officer was called at 8 a.m. to the 700 block of Spruce Street on a report of a fight in progress. Upon arrival, the officer stopped the fight. The argument was over a set of dog kennels. Charges have been filed in the case.
July 16
Officers were requested at 11:15 p.m. to the Magdalena well where a subject was threatening a survey crew and the village mayor. The case was turned over to the Socorro County Sheriff’s Department.
July 18
An officer located a male subject walking on Highway 60 who was wanted on an outstanding warrant from Magdalena Municipal Court. He was taken to jail.
July 20
An officer was called at 6:30 a.m. to assist Navajo police in Alamo where two male subjects had held a family hostage and killed a bull in the corral. The subjects were tracked down after running from the residence and arrested by Navajo Tribal Police.

Police Blotter

Socorro Native, Former Mountain Mail Employee Designs New Scratcher

Mountain Mail reports

A new Scratcher from the New Mexico Lottery has been designed by a Socorro native.
The “Green vs. Red” Scratcher was created by Joby Elliott, 22, a lottery graphic designer who attended college on a Legislative Lottery Scholarship.
Elliott was born in Socorro and graduated from Socorro high School.
He worked at the Mountain Mail as a graphic designer during the summer of 2004.
He proposed a game about rival chile athletes as a fresh take on the state’s passion for peppers and the popular question asking diners to choose between red or green chile. Elliott also illustrated the game’s fleet-footed chile characters.
Elliott, a studio art major who plans to graduate from the University of New Mexico next year, joined the lottery in 2008.
In addition to illustrating Scratchers, he creates content for the lottery’s Web site and its 1,100 in-store advertising displays.

Socorro Native, Former Mountain Mail Employee Designs New Scratcher

Chamber Artist Of The Month Is Dutch-Born Roy van der Aa

Mountain Mail reports

The current exhibit at the Socorro County Chamber of Commerce is called “Soldiers and Duckies and Politics, Oh My.” It features the art of Dutch-born Roy van der Aa.
Van der Aa is a self-proclaimed “social political activist,” with a preoccupation with American play culture, found objects and archaeology, according to his artist’s statement.
He said his paintings stem from his long interest in archaeology and the concept of “artifact.”
“Many of my works begin with objects that I find, dig up or are given to me. In a sense, I am a still-life painter, albeit a non-traditional one,” van der Aa said.
His compositions are open minded, leaving the viewer with the challenge to find their own meaning.
“My new work contains a balance of painting and collage. A juxtaposition of the real and the unreal. While the socio-political is the focus of many pieces, I temper this with a wry humor,” van der Aa said. “This recent collection of new and recent work has consistencies and departures. Toys continue to fascinate me. They are the artifacts of American mythology. Often they are created in board rooms, tied into movies in Hollywood, manufactured in China and distributed by fast-food chains. I try to shake this up. Images begin as collections which change as I combine and place them into context. I begin to compose with little in mind.”
Van der Aa said he is reminded of a Laurie Anderson quote: “You connect the dots … you pick up the pieces … from the heart of darkest America … listen to my heartbeat.”
Born in Holland, van der Aa grew up in Montreal, Canada. He studied art as a teen under Dutch impressionist Gerard van Dykhof in the 1970’s, followed by six years of formal fine arts education at John Abbott College and Concordia University.
He is currently art director and feature writer for the regional entertainment publication The Ink.
Van der Aa’s exhibit can be seen at the Chamber of Commerce on Manzanares Avenue on the Plaza through the end of August.

Photo caption: Dutch-born artist Roy van der Aa poses with some of his artwork that will be on display at the Socorro County Chamber of Commerce this month as the chamber’s artist of the month. Photo by John Larson

Chamber Artist Of The Month Is Dutch-Born Roy van der Aa

Despite Pending Operation, Sylvia Searches For Gold

“What do you mean ‘no breakfast’? Operation? What operation? Who’s getting an operation, and what has that to do with no breakfast?” The questions came loud and fast from an outraged Sylvia, who shouted from the other side of the screen door.
I kept my cool and answered calmly: “You’re going to have an operation today. That’s why you can’t have breakfast.”
“Already I don’t like the idea of this,” Sylvia said, kicking the already-taped door to show her disapproval.
Ignoring this, I grabbed her leash and said, “We’d better go now or we’ll be late.”
“Go? Where are we going?”
“To Socorro, to the nice Vet.”
“We already went to the nice Vet last week.”
“That was for the diagnosis. Now we’re going for the operation.”
“I don’t think so,” Sylvia said, slinking down the porch steps. “You can go if you want, but I’ll stay here and read the paper.”
“It doesn’t work that way, Sylvia,” I said with a cheerful insincere laugh. “Come on, get in the pickup. You liked the ride last week. You were so good once we got past that little argument about who was going to drive. Once you decided to move from the driver’s seat it was really a nice drive. Remember how much you enjoyed looking at the VLA?”
“That was OK, quite interesting in its way, but I’d still rather not have an operation today, thank you.”
“Come on, Sylvia,” I said, fastening her leash. “If you fuss, you’ll only get upset.”
“I’m upset already. I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t want my body tampered with.”
“But you’ll feel and look ever so much better,” I pointed out. “You’ll be rid of that cyst over your eye and that fatty tumor on your rear and your ear infection.”
“All of that?”
“Yes, all of that at once. And you’ll be asleep. You won’t feel a thing.”
“But then I won’t be in control. I don’t like not being in control.”
“I understand that,” I said. “But maybe you can be in control of something else.”
“Like what?”
“Well, are you just going to give up on finding the gold of the Lost Adams Diggings, especially after you built the wagon and all?”
“I never give up. Never. You, of all people, should know that. It’s a dirty, rotten shame,” Sylvia said with vehemence. “That wagon was built to carry gold and, by Jupiter, it’s going to carry gold.”
“There’s something about the wagon I’ve been meaning to ask: where did you get the wheels?”
“You know that old dumping place behind the house that has a lot of old tobacco cans and stuff.”
“The place with all the snakes?”
“We only saw one, and that one told RingWorm that there was an old rusty children’s toy train near the bottom. We dug it up and appropriated the wheels for our wagon. We had to give the snake a ride, though.”
“That was pretty brave, if not a trifle foolhardy of you,” I said.
“When it comes to gold, we have no fear. And we’ll find it, that’s for sure.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“We’ll find the Lost Adams Diggings yet. Do or die! Well, maybe not that but we’ll do it.” With that, Sylvia held her breath and took a mighty leap into the pickup.
“Good girl,” I said.
Sylvia plopped herself in front of the wheel saying: “Come on, give me the keys and let’s go. Let’s go find the Lost Adams Diggings!”

Despite Pending Operation, Sylvia Searches For Gold

News From The Socorro County Chamber Of Commerce

Chamber Welcomes Tech Students

This month, nearly 2,000 students arrive to begin their fall semester at New Mexico Tech. Nearly 400 of them will be new students who have never been to Socorro before. The chamber, working with Tech’s Residential Life department, has produced a 24-page coupons and discounts booklet, which will be distributed to new and returning students at the beginning of the school year. The booklet, which offers exclusive discounts to Tech students, is intended to attract students to chamber-member businesses.
Tech students like helping the community. Several Tech clubs (such as the Society of Women Engineers) have participated in Keep Socorro Beautiful cleanups. Also, a Tech student assisted chamber-member Linda Arteche of Toonda’s Treasures by handing out flyers on the Plaza for a few hours in exchange for a great deal on merchandise.
Where Does the Tax Go?
It’s time for another holiday: the annual New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax Holiday. For three days, Aug. 7, 8 and 9, New Mexicans can purchase back-to-school supplies absolutely tax-free, including shoes and clothing under $100, computers under $1,000, backpacks, calculators and other school necessities.
The other 362 days of the year, people pay gross receipts taxes (or what is sometimes referred to incorrectly as sales tax) and hardly give it a thought.
Businesses charge tax for goods and services and pay it to the state in the form of gross receipts tax. For every dollar in gross receipts tax paid to the state, about 50 cents is distributed back to the county and city where it was assessed.
For the county of Socorro, it can work out to about $40,000 per month, with a certain percentage earmarked for necessities such as fire protection, the sheriff’s office and detention funds. Although property taxes make up the lion’s share of the county’s operating fund, every penny of gross receipts tax makes a difference.
For the city of Socorro, gross receipts tax distributed back from the state can represent up to 55 percent of the general fund. This helps pays for programs and necessities that have a huge impact on quality of life in Socorro.
Tax codes are used to determine where the tax originated and to ensure that it is distributed back to its source. This is why it’s so important that businesses use correct codes when paying gross receipts taxes, and important to make sure contractors and sub-contractors also use the correct codes. Regardless of the location of a business or office, the code for goods and services provided within the city of Socorro is 25-125, and the code for goods and services provided within the rest of county of Socorro is 25-025.
The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department offers free gross receipts tax workshops in both English and Spanish at various locations throughout the state, throughout the year. They can be reached in Santa Fe at 505-827-0700, or call the Socorro County Chamber of Commerce at 575-835-0424 for assistance.
Reimbursements on home and farm projects
The Socorro Soil and Water Conservation District is an active chamber member that assists the agriculture industry as well as all land owners. Socorro SWCD cost-share programs are available for agricultural practices such as laser land leveling, concrete ditch lining and irrigation well rehabilitation. Through these cost shares, people can be reimbursed up to 50 percent of their project’s cost (the maximum paid to any individual per fiscal year is $3,000).
The Socorro SWCD also cost shares residential practices like drip irrigation systems, low-flow water devices (including toilets and showerheads) and offers assistance with soil erosion control. Those projects are just a few of the hundreds eligible for cost sharing. Recently, chamber Director Terry Tadano completed a six-zone drip system at his home and was reimbursed half of his costs.
Socorro SWCD services include assistance with surveying, designing or planning for eligible projects and, in many cases, contractor-ready plans are provided. All Socorro SWCD services are free to qualified land owners (renters must provide a letter from the owner granting permission for installation), so call the SWCD at 838-0078 for additional information. People may also send an e-mail to socorroswcd@qwestoffice. net or visit www.socorroswcd.com.
Member Spotlight – individual members
One category of member, in particular, contributes uniquely – the individual members. They are people who join as individuals, not as businesses. They come from all walks of life, but one thing they have in common is their support for the chamber’s mission to promote the civic and commercial well-being of the city and county.
When member participation is requested, these members are the first to respond, often in person. They RSVP, they vote, they volunteer and stay involved. The individual members of the chamber are Mary Aguilar, Bill Basham, Leroy and Susan Bieber, Fara Earl, George and Rebecca Funkhouser, Mary Gillard, Linda Gonzales, Carol Griswold, Helene Holguin, Gin Jue, Ted Kase, Judy Lovelace, Fernando Mercado, Donna Monette, Gary and Vanetta Perry, Barbara Romero, Betsy Smith and Clinton Wellborn.
Skate-A-Rama!
On Saturday, Aug. 8, Sonic Drive-In will sponsor a Skate-A-Thon, Skate-A-Rama and picnic with proceeds to benefit Toys from Cops to Tots. For more information, call Sue Meza at 835-2413.
Community theater
The Socorro Community Theater will present “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde – “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,” set in Texas in 1955. Performances will be 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29, with a Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. Aug. 30 at the Historic Garcia Opera House. Tickets will be sold at the door: admission is $8; $7 for seniors and $6 for students. Call 838-0379 or visit www.socorro.com/sct for more information.
New Members
The Fraternal Order of the Eagles raises millions of dollars each year for charities and causes such as child-abuse prevention; medical research; support for armed forces, police and firefighters; assistance for the elderly and more.
Local Aerie (president, Ray Serna, 835-9952) and Auxiliary (president, Archie Romero, 505-507-2507) are dedicated to upholding the order’s commitment to country and community.
Meetings are the second and fourth Thursdays of each month (the 13th and 27th this month) at 7 p.m. at 1111 N. California St. Call for information.
Welcome Southwest Auto Body LLC to the list of chamber members. Southwest Auto Body specializes in custom body paint and repairs for both vehicles and motorcycles. and is located at 501 N. Fifth St. Owner Daymen Castagnetto guarantees his work and prides himself on the quality. Call 835-1006 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“Free State of Socorro” to Rise Again
Plans are being made for the Seventh Annual Socorrofest on Oct. 9 and 10. Part of the planning involves the creation of “Free State of Socorro” passports, and festival organizers invite the business community to participate and be included in the festivities.
The passports will include information about local businesses, with festival coupons and discounts. To get involved or for more information, call Stephanie DeBrine at 838-7476.
Annual Civitan events
Socorro Civitan will have its annual yard sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. August 29 at the local Disabled American Veterans Hall on Fifth Street. Donations of clean, working, fun and useful items for the yard sale and silent auction will be appreciated, and can be made by calling 838-0343 after 6 p.m. or sending an e-mail to Socorro-civitan@yahoo.com.
The Civitan’s Seventh Annual Benefit Golf Tournament will be Sunday, Sept. 27, at the New Mexico Tech Golf Course, with prizes and awards, free snacks and lunch, goodie bags and more. Call 575-835-5335 to register.
The mission of Socorro Civitan is to help people who are in need. Money raised at the events will go back out into the community to continue to help those in need.

News From The Socorro County Chamber Of Commerce

Another School Year, County Fair Time, Luna Losers

By Kaye Mindar

A new perspective
An old poem describes a woman walking through a meadow, meditating on nature. While strolling about, she came upon a field of golden pumpkins. In the corner of the field stood a huge, majestic oak tree. She sat under the oak tree musing on the strange twists in nature that put tiny acorns on huge branches and huge pumpkins on tiny vines.
She thought to herself, “God blundered with Creation! He should have put the small acorns on the tiny vines and the large pumpkins on the huge branches.” Nodding off, the woman stretched out under the oak tree for a nap.
A few minutes after falling asleep, she was awoken by a tiny acorn bouncing off her nose. Chuckling to herself, she rubbed her nose and thought, “Maybe God was right after all!” Sometimes when we examine our lives, it appears on the outside to be a series of blunders.
Of course, we are our own worst critics, and sometimes we never cut ourselves any slack. We don’t really need anyone else to point our personal mistakes out. We almost always punish ourselves in one way or another, and the real truth of the matter is we keep going and keep looking around for the design that may not make sense to us at first, but fits perfectly as the nature and seasons of our lives change.
Another school year
They say a mother’s favorite color is school bus yellow, and it seems to come more quickly every year. Reserve Schools will begin sessions on Monday. We wish our students a great year.
Fair time
Our 4-H Club kids are preparing tirelessly, weighing their animals as the Catron County Fair quickly approaches, Aug. 28 and 29. There are more than just animals being prepared; Alberta Nicolds is teaching a cookie-baking class to make the best of the best for the judging.
This year a new building is being erected as quickly as possible on the fairgrounds. It may be partially used this year, but should be completed to add another building that will be available for next year’s events, making more room for commercial vendors and exhibits.
Luna Losers
Our Luna weight-loss group will meet at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday, beginning Aug. 18, at the Luna Community Center. There will be a half-hour meeting each week to weigh in and learn new cooking skills, share ideas and support each other. A new doctor’s scale has been donated to the center for the group. There is no charge, and anyone who would like to participate is welcome to join.
Community center
The next Luna Community Center meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13. There will be a full report given on the proceeds from the Luna Pioneer Days barbecue lunch and dance. At September’s meeting, new officers will be elected for the coming year.
Preparedness Corner
Orders for the last canning session of the season will be due to Joyce Laney by Sept. 27. The final canning session for the year is scheduled for Oct. 23 and 24. There will be no canning sessions in August or September.
There are still cookbooks and pre-canned items available for purchase. Contact Joyce Laney for more information. Did you know food storage items are now available pre-canned and in 45-pound buckets at the Show Low Wal-Mart? You can compare prices and pick up one or two items as your budget allows.
Another shopping tip is that grocery stores usually offer larger sales on various items at the end of each month. There are many shopping tips online to stretch your dollar and build and rotate your pantry supply. Buy what you use, and use what you buy.
Genealogy Corner
Hispanic people in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado are more frequently uncovering a secret Jewish ancestry, as well as a hidden health risk. People are discovering more about their history than ever before.
Other Hispanics are learning about their ancestry through genetic testing that is also revealing the hidden health threat. Read an article at the KRQE Web site, and view a video that explains this fascinating twist in much more detail.
Quote of the Week
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
~ Robert Frost

Another School Year, County Fair Time, Luna Losers